In the software development world, there is a distinction between Program and Project Managers.
What I have found is that program managers have expertise in "programming", that they come from the ranks of developers and into management.
My company went dot bomb in early Nov., and with 5 years of web development project management experience (8 yrs PM total), I am seen by some companies here in the Seattle area as too qualified for a project manager position but underqualified for a program manager position.
Any suggestions as to how to ramp up technically in a short amount of time or suggested counter-arguements for the next time I face the "a little light on the technical side" comment are greatly appreciated. The Standish Group's 5 needs of a pm will help. :-) Saving Changes...
OK, here's an alternative view from one who manages projects and has responsibility for operations.
Project Managers are tactical. The focus is on the deliverables and communicating with stakeholders -- but all as described within the project charter and project plan. The need for the tactical view is based solely on the definition of a project: a one-time unique work effort with a defined beginning and end.
Program Managers by the nature of their job need to be more than the best project manager who leads other project managers. Their view is more strategic than operational. Within the many projects their managers handle there is a subject matter that is the constant theme in the project work. The program manager must organize the theme so it connects to the company's mission and vision and delivers the actions that make the strategic plan feasible.
Gobbledy-gook? Only if you think project work is the reason for your company's existence. In some firms, that is the work; in others its the infrastructure that supports the rest of the company as it delivers its products/services.
So Project/Program Management is no different than strategic/tactical management. Someone needs to be looking at the big picture and assessing what the direction should be. Someone else needs to deliver the detailed actions that accomplish the direction.
Rita has hit the nail squarely on the head. I am in live situation as she describes managing not only the IT portion but providing PM oversight for non-IT aspects of the total program of electronic report format improvements that includes text and image in the content. A program has several stand-alone projects that have a common thread to meet an overall business objective. Saving Changes...
Yep. I agree with Rita’s assessment. The organization I work in is just as Rita describes. Our business is over fifty percent project driven. Our Program Managers are expected to provide direction and best practice steering for the project managers dispatched to the various projects. They need to ensure that the project management staff is correctly utilizing all of the organizations project management knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques in order to meet or exceed the needs and expectations of all project stakeholders – including the end customer. They are expected to perform the (key word here) Strategic, customer facing activities with both internal business partners and the external customers and set the tone of the relationship. In simple terms and to Rita’s point: Program Managers are expected to help define the big picture and Project Managers are expected to deliver it. – Bill.... PS. Good post Rita….thanks.
Saving Changes...
Programmes are different from projects in that it is their outcomes that matter not their outputs.
Outputs are specified deliverables from projects that are delivered within time, cost and quality constraints.
Outcomes are the effects of change and form the vision for the programme. Programme Management is a structured framework that can help organisations deliver change and realise the benefits from the change. Saving Changes...
Calum RobertsonOrganisational Planning Manager| Whangarei District CouncilAuckland, New Zealand
We've defined program and project management as clearly different much as Rita posted - Programs achieving significant business change while projects focus on necessary deliverables that contribute to the change. A number of parallel or consecutive projects are necessary to achieve business change but the programe typically requires extensive activity within business groups to fully reap the programs strategic benefits.
The program and project manager roles require different competencies and there are inevitable (healthly) tensions between a program and contributing projects. For example, a program always focusses on the best interests of an organisation while a project has greater time/budget/deliverables focus. Saving Changes...
Programmes deliver strategic and business benefits to the organisation. The suite of projects contained in the programme 'wrapper' should therefore be executed/delivered in sequence to maximise those benefits - programme manager's role. Specific projects deliverables must therefore be produced to time. So, the programme manager thinks and acts strategically, whereas the project manager thinks and acts tactically - concentrating on delivery of the business-critcal products. Saving Changes...
